Front and rear suspension system for transporter



May 6, 1958 K. H. MINDRUM FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTER Filed March 1. 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. M272 5272 bf Mz'rzdmm ATTOR/VEKf M 1958 I K. H. MINDRUM I 2,833,553

FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTER Filed March 1, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 597655 H. fl/z'n drum BY y 1953 K. H. MINDRUM 2,833,553

FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTER Filed March 1, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.- Kennefi b. Minclmvn l9 7TOR/VEYS United States Patent FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTER Kenneth H. Mindrum, Battle Creek, Mich., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application March 1, 1957, Serial No. 643,485

4 Claims. (or. 280-124) The present invention provides .certain improvements in material loading equipment of a general type wherein a vehicular frame is-provided on which is arranged a load-handling fork power-operated for upward, downward, and horizontal movements, so that loads may be picked up from alongside the frame, lifted, drawn inwardly, and deposited on the frame, transported from one place to another, and unloaded onto the ground at .the desired destination, or elevated into racks alongside the machine.

In mechanisms of this type, it will be apparent they will be subjected duringoperating service to very heavy lateral twisting stresses, with a resulting tendency of the machine to'tilt towards the side at which the load is being manipulated, so that in the construction of this type, provision has been made to counteract such tilting by the provision of extensible jacks which are thrust out into ground contact as the load is raised and lowered. Even so, however, lateral or transverse stability is a considerable prob- -lem, and in machines of the above type, the frame is secured directly to the front and rear axles of the machine for this reason; but because of the fact that the machine is used in many instances as over-the-road transport, the

unsprung frame-to-axle mounting results in a very rough riding vehicle for personnel thereon, as will be appreciated readily.

The improvements of the present invention are designed to remedy the foregoing objection, it being an important object of the invention to provide a spring suspension for. a machine of the above-indicatedcharacter which will provide for the absorption of road shockswithout loss of the lateral stability necessary to the side-loading action of the machine. Thus the machine will accommodate itself to road surface irregularities during transport operations, but without loss of the necessary lateral stability when loading and unloading, at which time the machine is stationary and the jacks are in use to add to the stability. Further objects of the present improved construction include the provision of spring-suspension of simple,

strong, and practical construction, as will be understood taken on the line 1212 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 1313 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is van enlarged detailed vertical section view, taken on the line 1414 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. is a perspective view of the mounting means for ice the modified form of spring suspension illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a roller guide track employed in the modified construction; and

Fig. 7 is an elevation view, partly in section, of a modified roller mounting assembly shown in Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be noted that the structural features constituting the present improved construction are illustrated as being embodied in a power-actuated and power-driven'mobile loading machine which is itself a prime mover. However, it will be understood that the improvements are not limited to incorporation into this particular machine nor into this particular type of machine, and the following description of the improved spring mounting construction is'intended to beregarded as a general vehicular installation in any embodiment which includes a main chassis frame thatis reinforced by spaced, longitudinally and transversely extending reinforcing beams. The improvements ofthe present invention may be applied to both the rear and front wheels and aXles therefor, as will be described in particularity'hereinafter. It will be understood that the illustrated embodiments are incorporated in a heavy and rugged vehicle Whichis subjected to severe and very rugged torsional stresses and strains during service operations, thereby requiring a highly rugged character of mechanical installations embodying the present improvements.

Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, S, 6, and 7 illustrate an embodiment of the improved and novel rear spring suspensionrneans of the load carrier. Reference numeral 20 indicates. dual rear wheels mounted-on rear axle 22 which includes differential housing 24. As indicated previously, although the illustrated embodiment shows the improvedandnovel suspension means on the rear of the load carrier, it is understood that it is equally applicable to the front. This embodiment permits the portion of the loader chassis above the rear axle 22 to have up and downward movements and is restrained from lateral movements by a pivoted roller carrying tubular cross beam means 180 having a plurality of rollers 184 that oscillate upwardly and downwardly in a fabricated channel guide retaining means176 rigidly carried by a chassis member. 174 to give lateral stability to the loader chassisduring loading and unloading from a side position of the loader. T his embodiment also allows, through an equalizing rod member 206, longitudinal cooperation of the pivoted roller means with any longitudinal shifting of the loader chassis and guide means 176 with respect to the rear axle 22. The rear spring suspension means shown by this embodiment comprises a rearaxle 22 having spacer blocks 106 thereon which carries two spaced parallelsemielliptical leaf spring assemblies 104. In this embodiment the rear spring assemblies 104 rest upon spacer blocks 106 on rear axle 22. Immediately above these spacer blocks 106 on top of each spring assembly 104 is positioned a block. 214 having a central bearing means 215 to engage end member 196 of pivoted roller support,

member 180, and said member 214 also contains near the top' of its vertical sides a female thread means 213 for securing thereon by bolt means 220 a retaining means 216 for rubber bumper means 218. The lowerportion of member 214 terminates in clamping shoulders'2l7 against spring assembly 104 which is secured by clamping U-bolt 101 by legs 102 which pass through flanges 120 of axle 22 and are secured in clamping-engagement to said axle member 22 by lock nut means 122. Each of the two semi-elliptical spring assemblies 104 are connected at the rear end by upturned eye member 224 by stub pivot shaft 108 to spaced bracket 110 which is secured by weldmentsto chassis members 26 and 23. The frontend'of each semi-elliptical spring assembly 104 terminates in uprigidly secured by weldments to member 28 of the loader chassis. The extended ends of guide support member 174 terminate as weldments to bracket members 193 which member 182, one end of pin member 188 terminating in are in turn rigidly fastened by bolt means 194 at each end 174 to be easily removed and serviced. Intermediate the ends of member 174, fabricated guide member 176 is secured by weldments and triangular plate members 178 and 179 to the transverse support member 174. Guide member 176 in Fig. 2 is welded to forward brace member 192 which is in turn secured by bolt members 198 to bracket member 197, whichis in turn secured by weldment to member 28 of 'the loader chassis. The pivoted roller supportmember180 is pivotally connected by pivot pins 196 in bearing blocks 214 which arerigidly and fixedlyl juxtaposed by spring assembly 104to the rear axle 22 through clamping U-bolts 101. Member 180 supports by weldments a cross member 181 which carries above and belowmember 180 two roller means 184 by bearing pins 188 which terminate at one end in a bearing means 204 which supports rollers 184 by a spacingmember 18 6 juxtaposed between roller member 184' and cross support plate member 182 and tubular cross member1181. Theftubular cross member 181 is laterally "reinforced by weldments to member .180. The roller pin support member 188 passes through plate member 182 and tubular member 181 and terminates in a securing lock nut 190.-

Thettop portion of tubular cross member 181 is secured rearwardly by weldment to lug member 200 which. is pivotally connected by pin member means 210 secured by a cotter pin. 211 to clevis member 208 threadedlyconnected and secured by lock nut 212 on equalizingrod member 206 which is further threadedly connected at the other end of member 206 to a lock nut and another clevis member 208 which is pivotally connected by pin member 210 to bracket 202, member 210 terminating at oneend in a cotter pin 211, the bracket 202 being welded to member 28 of thechassis.

Fig. 6 of this embodiment shows in detail the fabrication of roller guide member 176 beforeweldment to structural member 174.. The roller guide member 176 is fabricated by an inner channe'l member 175 being disposed within an outer notched channel [member '177 in such a manner that the channel recess of the inner channel member 175 opens outwardly from "channel member 177. Channel members 175 and 177 are secured together by weldments 185. Outward channel member 177 is notched at its topmost end by indentation183 having two sides meeting to form an included angle of substantially 90 degrees. The sides of notched recess 183are welded to structural member 174 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and5. In Fig. 4 the outer channel member 177 of fabricated member 176 is secured longitudinally'by weldment to longitudinal guide brace member 192.

Fig. 7 of this embodiment shows the transverse roller mounting assembly composed of a tubular roller support tnunnion member 180. carryingintermediate its ends by weldments a vertical tubular member 181 extending below and. abovetubular member. 180. The weldments between tubular members .180 and 181 are further reinforced by a gusset plate member 182 of octagonal shape being welded to tubular. members 180 and 181. The outerends of tubular member 180 terminate in a pressed arbor fit or weldment enclosing an enlarged stepped cylindrical portion of pivot pin 196 within said outer ends of member 180. a Q

Figs. 4, S and 7 show the manner of mounting roller members 184 to tubular cross member 181 and gusset to members 26 of the loader chassis, enabling member a thread means and secured to nut means 190, the other end of pin member 188 piercing and carrying a circular plate spacer member 186 and said other end of member 188 piercing and being securely fixed to and within a tubular bearing member 204 having an outwardly radially extending cylindrical shoulder portion 205 of bushing or hearing member 204. Pin member 188 has internal lubr'icating means 189 for roller members 184. Roller members 184 are carried on bearing member 204 between its shoulder portion 205 and spacer member 186.

Figs. 2, 4 and 5 show the manner in which roller members 184 are carried and may reciprocate vertically within roller guide means 176 due to spring deflection to allow oscillation of the axle with respect to the chassis only in the vertical direction.

It is to be understood that the spring suspension structure shown may be used in front axle, single or dual rear axles, and in any combination thereof. a f

While the present invention has been described specifically as embodied in a loader structure of the type previously described, it will be understood that the prescut improvements actually are adapted for general application to wheeled vehicles generally, wherever resilient mountings for the wheels are found to be desirable and it will be understood that it is intended and desired to embrace within the scope of this invention such modifications and changes as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses as may come within the expected purview of one skilled in the art and as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle having a chassis including a transverse bracing member and an axle resiliently mounted beneath said transverse member, the improvement including spring assemblies connected to the chassis and supporting said axle, channel means secured to said transverse member above said axle, normally intersecting tubular members supported on said spring assemblies parallel to said transverse member, linking means interconnecting said tubular members and said chassis, guide means secured to said tubular members and engaging said channel means for limiting the motion of said tubular members to a vertical path and permitting oscillation of the'axle with respect to the chassis.

2. In a vehicle having a chassis including a transverse bracing member, spring assemblies suspended from said chassis and supporting an. axle in parallel relation between said transverse member and on one side thereof, a. channel secured perpendicularly to said transverse member :above said axle, normally intersecting tubular members supported on said spring assembliesfor rotation about an axis parallel to said transverse member, pivotal linking means interconnecting said normally intersecting tubular members and said chassis, vertically aligned roller meanscarried by a vertical one of said normally intersecting tubualr members and engaging said perpendicular channel for limiting the motion of said tubular members to a vertical path and permitting oscillation of the axle with respect to the chassis.

plate member 182 by bearing, pin member 188 piercing v by a suitable fit tubular member 181and gusset plate 3. A construction as recited in claim 2 wherein the open side of the channel faces said normally intersecting tubular members. i

4. A construction as recited in claim 2 wherein said linking means interconnects the vertical one of said normally interconnecting tubular members and said chassis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v 2,660,450 Stigum Nov. 24,1953 

